The Ataris / Last Days Of April / Neil’s Children

Do you ever go to a gig and wonder how the hell did such a broad range of music get plonked together in one line up? Not an outdoor Live Aid type thing, but a two hour show? Is it the promoters? I’d like to believe that the bands choose their own support, but tonight has cast doubt on that theory.

Neil’s Children couldn’t be more unlike The Ataris than if Eminem supported Girls Aloud. They have the look of The Cure back in’t day and are too smart and indie for a support slot tonight. ‘You Didn’t Care’ with it’s stop/start beat and ghoulish guitar is very basic. The mix of gothic horror “punk” has been done better by many other bands, and it appears to be a case of visual rather than musical shocks.

How appropriate that it is the last day of April, and that Last Days Of April are here in Leeds. Another case of how did these get this slot; but their music is good, just not very upbeat and in the same vain as The Ataris. They look pretty plain compared to the last bunch (Neil must be so proud), but are quite huge in their home place of Sweden.



These are more relaxed with their music you feel, not relying on over the top hair-styling and black, black and a bit more black. That way you can actually focus on the music, as instead of staring at the hair spray glistening in the glow of a blue filtered Mac 600, you can stare into space and really absorb yourself in the music. LDOA have an atmospheric rock thing going, and I can see why they are so liked.

I didn’t realise The Ataris were a teenage girls dream. I’m standing up against the monitors onstage (no barrier here) and am surrounded by screaming young girls who have also put a lot of effort into their attire (though no-one can see, the crowd are mostly tight together and they can barely see over the monitors). The screaming in no way challenges that of the Beatlemania or Take That eras (imagine), but it is deafening me in this small space that is the Cockpit.



The five-piece fill the small stage, and a they bound around a lot it’s like a game of human bumper cars, except without any carnage from these seasoned performers of small clubs. Singer Kristopher Roe has the right amount of emo in his delivery, just bordering on the line of hardcore melodic punk and not making sickly sweet screams.

‘San Dimas High School Football Rules’, Roe’s favourite live track, is enjoyed by all, though the mosh pit is hardly manic. Not for the first half anyway; as we approach the encore with oldies like ‘Alone in Santa Cruz’ the crowd suddenly turn crazy and it’s arms and legs ahoy as many bodies take to the “sea” for a crowd surf. One lucky guy ends up on stage and is the first encouraged to jump back into the crowd, causing many copy-cats (and the odd ones who will do a dad-dance before leaping into the pit).



Songs from new offering ‘Welcome The Night’ (‘Cardiff-By-The-Sea’, Secret Handshakes’, ‘The Cheyenne Line’) do not go down as well as the more known tracks, as is always the case in 99.9 percent of shows. By the end though most of the crowd are trying to get on stage and jump off again. I find it a little boring and the band only seem to warm to the crowd nearer the end of their set. They make up for it afterwards however by signing autographs and posing with fans, so it was a good gig for die-hards.

Set list:

Summer Wind Was Always Our Song
Unopened Letter To The World
Cardiff-By-The-Sea
Road Signs And Rock Songs
Fast Time at Drop-Out High
The Cheyenne Line
San Dimas High School Football Rules
The Hero Dies In This One
I.O.U One Galaxy
Secret Handshakes
Alone in Santa Cruz’
In This Diary
1/15/96
Act V, Scene IV: And So It Ends Like It Begins

Your Boyfriend Sucks
Giving Up on Love
I Remember You
So Long Astoria

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.